Happenstance
by sydneyisgrumpy
Summary: A collection of short, one-off drabbles about Hatori Sohma and his surrounding family and friends. Some are NSFW/rated M, but there will be a ton of fluff and angst as well. All stories will be Hatori-centric, but feature a wide variety of co-stars.
1. Hatsuharu

Hatori glanced over uneasily at his bovine cousin, squirming a bit in his seat. After two cups of sake, Hatori was visibly more relaxed than he usually was, but by a _normal_ person's standards, Hatori was still wound up tight like a humming piano wire. The dragon often felt uncomfortable around Hatsuharu- it wasn't at all anything _in particular_ Haru did, it was just his general blank, monotone deposition.

Hatori related to the cow in that way, he also wasn't one to wear his emotions on his sleeve either. So, maybe, he was in good company. He was taken aback when Haru asked about _**her**_ , but Hatori decided it would be best to just be honest. Perhaps his cousin could learn from Hatori's own mistakes.

"I… I haven't talked about this in years," Hatori whispered, his gaze shifting to the side and sighing. "I suppose… I suppose I _did_ have feelings for Mayu while I was dating Kana."

Just breathing those words burned his throat, he could feel bile rising. Hatori wasn't an unfaithful man. When he entered into a relationships, he was completely committed. However, with Kana…

"It wasn't that I… _Lusted_ after Mayu. I just found her… Witty. Mayu had a charm about her that Kana lacked. I loved Kana with all of my heart, but she… She was just _so chipper_ all the time. It was truly exhausting. Kana hadn't even read _Pierre de Larivey_. I felt as if there wasn't much for us to talk about, and with Mayu… Though, perhaps, the romantic connection wasn't there, I felt as we worked well together. She sparked my interest. When she and Shigure joined Kana and I on dates, I always found myself much more drawn to Mayu's aura than Kana's. I don't think I've ever forgiven myself."

His voice cracking, Hatori moved to hide his face in his hand. "Haru, I believe… I believe I _wanted_ Akito to lash out at me when I asked for Kana's hand in marriage. I wasn't a fool, I knew _exactly_ what Akito's response would be. I wanted to be punished, and I… I wanted the marriage to be stopped. I knew it wouldn't last between Kana and I, but I lacked the conviction to stop it myself. I believe that is why I have never blamed Akito for calling off my marriage, and wounding my eye."

The doctor sheepishly glanced over at his younger cousin, unsure if Hatsuharu would understand. Haru wasn't a stranger to love, that was true, but perhaps he was still a bit too immature to fully understand the weight of this confession for the dragon.

"…Perhaps I really am a monster, Haru."


	2. Saki

" Sohma Hatori, what does Kazuma-san find attractive in a woman?"

"Kazuma?" Hatori asked, intrigued by her sudden inquiry about a distant, elder cousin of his. Growing up, the dragon _**did**_ admire his martial arts instructor- Kazuma was always very calm and collected, and had a paternal streak in him that Hatori didn't even see in his _own_ father. Kazuma wasn't even that much older than Hatori, but he was always very mature, very responsible.

Hatori truly envied it.

As Hatori grew, Kazuma began becoming more of a friend than a teacher. They spent time together whenever their schedules would allow; the dragon very much enjoyed grabbing a drink or two with the sensei on evenings that he was visiting. Saki's question had caught him off-guard, and he couldn't help but wonder _**why**_ exactly she'd asked such a thing.

"I suppose… I suppose I am not entirely sure. It's not as if we discuss women overly often." Kazuma was aware of the curse, and he was aware of the Kana incident. Of course, it was no surprise that Kazuma didn't push Hatori to date or even discuss females. On the same side of the coin, Hatori didn't overly pry into the elder's life, or force him to divulge his past relationships. Hatori couldn't remember ever seeing Kazuma with a woman, especially not after he began acting as a father to Kyo. Hatori needed to think about this question carefully.

"Kazuma does not date very often, you see. He is a very busy man, running the dojo. He would need a _**strong**_ woman in his life, one who can handle a business and encourage him. He would need to be bolstered and emboldened often so he can continue giving his students all that he can. He'd need a woman who can spend all day the dojo with him, and then still be able to take care of him when he comes home. As he's the teacher of the students, his partner would need to be the cleanliness type- you know, be able to work hard to keep both the dojo and his home nice and clean. Kazuma is not a fan of messes." After a moment, he tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.

"Lastly, I suppose she would need to have a maternal instinct in her. I believe a mothering type of personality is what he looks for most in his future partners. Not only does he care for his students- and _**one student**_ in particular- as if they were his own children, but there is no denying that Kazuma would like to be taken care of himself every once in awhile. He's spent much of his life giving all of himself to others, I believe finally having someone care for him in the way he's cared for everyone else all these years… Yes, I believe that is what he'd like most, Miss Hanajima."


	3. Kyo

It was a bit peculiar when Hatori got a call from Shigure right after work; the dog in so many words explained that he was making a special meal with Kyo's help, and that Hatori was invited to come over and enjoy the fruits of their labor. To say that Hatori was suspicious was an under-statement; he wasn't sure exactly _why_ Kyo and Shigure would be working together, on a _meal_ , _no less_ \- neither of them could cook as far as Hatori knew- so it was all very… **Strange**.

Still, Hatori wouldn't pass up a free meal. Even if it were to be heinous, he could just have his maids cook him something when he got home. Besides, Kyo never seemed to like the dragon very much, in fact, the cat barely seemed to _tolerate_ the doctor's presence. So, perhaps it was just hopeful thinking, but maybe this was Kyo's peace offering? Hatori wouldn't hold his breath, but…

Hatori conceded and got in his car after work, driving over to the pup's home. Yuki was busy with an after-school student council meeting, and Tohru was working. It was just the cat and dog crawling around the rather impressively sized home tonight, and neither seemed really interested in greeting Hatori as he walked in.

Both were speaking in hushed whispers, and staying in the kitchen. Shigure peeked his head out once to give Hatori a cheerful thumbs up, explaining that it was almost ready. " _It's tuna salad, Ha'ri! You'll love it!"_

Hatori waved dismissively, not overly interested in what it was, he was just starving. Having skipped lunch in lieu of examining Akito today, the doctor's stomach was positively growling.

Jolting out of his thoughts, Hatori looked up when Kyo slammed a plate down in front of him, the china clattering against the kotatsu. " _Here, old man. It's tuna salad, eat up,"_ The cat commanded, flopping over next to Hatori and crossing his arms. " _Well? Are you hungry or aren't you?"_

Hatori was assaulted by the grating tone of Kyo's voice, and the loud, abrupt clang of the plate in front of him, but he wasn't one to question why Kyo did _anything_ he did. The boy was a mystery to the doctor, truly.

Glancing down at the leafy greens topped with tuna, Hatori sighed and began to dig in. The doctor hadn't noticed that Kyo wasn't eating any himself, nor did he notice that Shigure still hadn't emerged from the kitchen. Stuffing a bite into his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully for a moment before giving a small nod. "It's not ba-"

 _Wait._ Freezing, Hatori finally tasted exactly _what_ was in his mouth and his stomach lurched. It was like… cardboard, overly flavored with the taste of fish to cover the atrocious texture. _What is this?_ Had the tuna gone bad?

Spitting up into his napkin, Hatori gagged and coughed a bit undignified, looking over at the redhead for answers. "Ky- Kyo, what… I think… Something is wrong with the tuna…"

" _That's because it's cat food!"_ Shigure gleefully announced, pouncing out from behind the door-frame and holding up an empty can of cat food in the air proudly. " _Fancy Feast, to be exact! I tried to trick Kyo into eating it yesterday, but he refused to eat anything I 'cooked.' So_ _ **rude**_ _,"_ Shigure lamented, placing a hand over his heart. "… _However, I did convince him to try and trick you, and we succeeded! What a fool you are, Ha'ri! Tell me, did you enjoy the taste of cat food?"_

There wasn't time for an answer before Hatori was barreling down the hall towards the bathroom, positive he was going to vomit. As he hung over the toilet, vomiting repeatedly, he had only one clear, identifiable thought:

 _ **I'm going to kill them.**_


	4. Kakeru

"D-Don't," Hatori breathed, shrinking away from the boy's fingers as if they would burn him. Mar his skin, cause it to melt under his fingertips. The boy had teased him relentlessly for _months_ about his hair, teasing Hatori for keeping his bangs so long. The physician kept quiet, he never acknowledged the playful jabs. Anything else, he would have a retort, but not his hair. Perhaps it was curiosity that got the better of him, perhaps Kakeru just wanted the truth. Hatori couldn't blame the boy, but it was still painful all the same.

" _Please_." One last plea, hoping the kid would retreat and leave Hatori alone for the night. One last beg, so he wouldn't have to relive that awful moment of his life. One last request, so he wouldn't have to bare his biggest insecurity to a boy who wouldn't understand the weight and meaning behind his disfigurement.

The words fell on deaf ears, the boy's delicate fingers were already brushing his bangs away from his left eye- more gently than Hatori imagined Kakeru would be. The soft pad of his fingers trailing upwards, leaving behind goosebumps in their wake.

There it was. It was all out there now, there was no hiding. No turning back. He couldn't retreat, he couldn't escape. Kakeru could see it; he could see what Hatori hid from everyone. His shame, out on display. There was a pink scar just under his eyebrow, though it wasn't that little nick that drew attention. The pupil of Hatori's left was permanently dilated, after the trauma from Akito, he lost nearly all vision and all pupillary response in that specific eye. It remained frozen, wide- the black of it nearly covering the feldgrau iris underneath. It looked _odd_ \- particularly when his other eye dilated just fine. To anyone else, it would be relatively hard to notice- but for the fastidious perfectionist, it was damned near _**glaringly obvious**_.

"Kakeru," Hatori whispered, his gaze darkening a bit as his own grey eyes searched the boy's black ones for something- _a response_ , _**anything**_. It was quiet, and his face was hovering just inching from the doctor's. Hatori didn't know what to say, what to do. So, he quickly shut his eyes and turned his face away, saying the only thing that he could say about his disability. The only thing that could clearly sum up why he was so broken, and Kakeru was sitting next to only a shell of a man.

" _I… I was a fool."_


	5. Ayame (Hypnagogic)

Finding himself at his desk, half-asleep and eyes heavily lidded from behind thick lenses, Hatori did his _damnedest_ to focus on the blurring words of the documents spread out before him. _Why_ Akito insisted on Hatori handling the low budget finances of the estate, he would **never** know. The accountant and lawyers hired on for the much larger, cumbersome business deals tended to the selling and buying of _land_ \- which companies they were to invest in annually.

The _lower level_ transactions were balanced in the family checkbook by **Hatori** \- his little knowledge of finances was enough for the _meager_ task.

Hatori _knew_ what the gardeners were to be paid and given strict instruction in both the breed and placement of the flora and budding trees. Tonight, Hatori was working out the details of a _large_ order of with a talented local **botanist**. The dragon scratched a small note off to the side of the paperwork, reminding himself to tell Akito that the expenses would go _over_ the usual yearly budget… The flowers _weren't_ in season, this would **cost** them.

Even so, Hatori knew better than to _argue_ that fact with Akito.

Leaning back into his chair, Hatori removed the glasses from the bridge of his nose, rubbing at his good eye _grumpily_ to rouse himself from his **hypnagogic** stupor. This wasn't even **near** to finished- he would be up for the next few hours, giving the doctor with a penchant for a strict **9 PM** bedtime a _run_ for his money. _Akito, the things I do for you…_

Sighing softly to himself, he could hear echoes of Ayame's _emphatic_ begs for Hatori to _**not**_ overwork himself this evening. A long day at work he'd had, and… Perhaps, just _**perhaps**_ , he could _allow_ himself a small break. If he were to head to bed _**now**_ , he could rise early in the morning and finish the balancing then. Would it be _terribly selfish_ of him to do so?

 _You work too hard, Ha'ri! You head home tonight, you make yourself a glass of scotch and I want you to_ _ **relax**_ _! Take these stifling, yet stylish clothes off and roll your shoulders back. Read a book. Do something, anything… But don't trouble yourself with work tonight._ _ **Please**_ _, 'Tori!_

The smallest hint of a smile curled the corners of his lips upwards, the serpent's _dramatic_ display of clutching his heart as if he were _begging_ Hatori from his **deathbed**. It was _admirable_ , Ayame's _devotion_ to him, and even more so, the devotion to tending to Hatori's health. Even the snake was aware that while Hatori cared for _everyone's_ health steadfast, his **own** was of _no_ concern to him. Yes, perhaps it had _touched_ his heart.

The smile widened, the dragon finding himself more _appealed_ by the idea of sleep than he had anticipated. It may be _selfish_ to leave this task for in the morning… But, could he truly, in good **conscious** , finish such an important task while _drowsy_? A single miscalculation could cost them _greatly_ \- at least, that was what the physician was using to **rationalize** this for himself. Quietly, he rose up from his desk, giving his aching, tight back a nice _stretch_ , before padding quietly down the hall towards his bedroom. A good night's rest should do him more _good_ than _**harm**_.

 _Thank you, Ayame. You care for me even when I cannot care for myself._

 _ **Thank you**_ _._


	6. Dear Kyou (The Letter)

Dear Kyou,

I suppose… I should start this with an _apology_. I haven't always been the most kind to you, nor the most **understanding**. I suppose I understand you more than I would like to admit. I'm not… The most _expressive_ man, so I've decided to write this letter to you instead. It would be difficult for me to say these things aloud, I hope you do not mind reading this. I would not blame you if you were to just throw this letter away. …But, _**please**_ , give me a moment to tell you what has been on my mind. All I'd like is a chance to say my peace.

Tomorrow, you will be marrying the love of your life. Tomorrow, you will stand at the altar that all of us have been desperate to get to, marrying the very girl you fell in love with. She… She _saved_ all of us, but most of all, **you**. For that, I believe we all owe her more than we could _ever_ repay: but that is why I'm counting on you to make her the _happiest_ woman on the face of the planet, Kyou. She **deserves** it more than all of us. I suppose, deep down, I _know_ you'll take good care of her and protect her. …If you don't, you'll have all of us to answer to. Understood?

Earlier today, I was helping Yuki with his speech for your wedding. He's nervous. I know it is because Miss Honda will be watching him tomorrow, but truly, his speech is lovely. I believe even you will be touched- even if it is just because of Tohru's _happy tears_. I want you to **enjoy** tomorrow. I want you to **relish** in the feeling of marrying the woman you love. Some of us… Haven't been given that privilege. You were _saved_ because of her. Because of Tohru, you were granted **freedom**. Tomorrow is a celebration of your love, of how far you've come. I want you to take a step back and _breathe_. As we all watch you stand there at the altar, we will all be thinking the same thing: _we're so lucky._ _ **We're lucky**_.

Do you remember the first time I came by to _babysit_ you? I was barely in my teenage years, and you were just a toddler. When it came time for bath-time, you _**spit**_ at me- not to mention the kicking and fit-throwing that followed shortly. You were a _fussy_ child- fussy for anyone but Kazuma. You would _never_ pitch a fit for him. I don't blame you- you were far from the _worst_ when it came to babysitting. I think it was then and there that you decided that you _didn't_ like me, maybe that I wasn't meant to be _trusted_. You always seemed to regard me warily. While I am _used_ to such a reaction, most people were suspicious of me because… Because of my **past**. My past with Yuki meant **nothing** to you. In a way, it made me feel _good_ \- you weren't judging me based on who I was _before_ , but who I was **right then**. I was cold to you, I was _distant_ , and that was all you needed to see to find little trust in me.

I believe… I believe you and I have more in common than either of us would like to _admit_. We're **terrible** with expressing our feelings. We fall in love with those who show us _kindness_. Our fathers were… Perhaps not the most kind of men. We both… Had _unexpected_ zodiac forms. A part of me feels guilty- that had I tried hard enough, I could have _eased_ your pain growing up. We both hold guilt over something that we were involved in- yet could not _prevent_ , even if we **wanted** to. I… I would've given anything for someone to pull me aside and just tell me that it _wasn't my fault_. Knowing that I had the power to tell you it was **alright** , to not blame yourself… Yet I didn't not take it… It makes my heart _ache_.

Kyou, I want you to know, **it was not your fault**. If you don't take anything else away from this letter, please _listen_ to me here. What happened with your mother was **not** your fault. What happened in your past is _**not your fault**_. You can only move _forward_. You can only work on making _**her**_ happy now. Focus on that. Focus on the _good_.

You've grown into such a nice young man. You're… **Responsible**. Part of why I am so thankful to be your elder is that I've been able to watch you and the others _grow_. Your very character had changed once… Once _she_ came into your life. You've started smiling- before her, I only saw glimpses of your smile when your _**Shishou**_ came into the room. While you and I are not close, I… I cannot tell you how rewarding it has been to watch you grow into someone who is _relaxed_ , who is **happy**. That is all I could ever **want** for anyone in this family.

You found your happiness. _**Never**_ let go of it.

I saw how you lit up when she walked into the room. I look forward to seeing your eyes _sparkle_ when she walks down the aisle to you tomorrow. I've bought a crock-pot for your wedding gift, but this letter is my personal ' _gift_ ' for you. It may not mean much, but I hope you understand that I am writing this with a heavy, but _hopeful_ heart. I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Give her love. Give her _all_ of your love. **Congratulations, Kyou**.

Warm Regards,  
 _ **Hatori Sohma**_


	7. Dear Mayu (The Letter)

Dear Mayu,

I can remember the first day I met you. I hadn't been nervous- I had no _reason_ to be. I suppose most men would _cower_ in **fear** of meeting their partner's best friend, but Kana spoke so _warmly_ about you- she gushed to me in private that you had been her very most _important_ friend, that she confided in you about her feelings for me. I suppose due to **this** , I already had a mental picture of you, and I felt as if I already _knew_ you. Kana was fluttering about me, whisking around as she held tie after tie up to my eyes ( _Something about finding one to match my eyes? I have no clue_ ), and once she finally settled on one, she kept adjusting it nervously. She did this laugh- you know the one, the anxious _giggle_. I found it cute. Kana was a nervous wreck.

By the time you rang my doorbell, she **squealed**.

You didn't _look_ how I expected you to look. I was pleased to see how _tall_ you were- my own height often made me feel a bit insecure, I wondered if you felt the same. You were dressed in more _professional_ clothing- and the second you laid eyes on me, I could **see** it. You gave me a once over, and then you _scowled_. I'm sure Kana had hoped I hadn't seen it- but I did. I stiffened, and Kana bolted to your side, the two of you hens clucking quietly to one another before you were brought over to meet me. Kana held your hand, and offered you up to me.

You were _**blunt**_. You didn't hide behind a mask of politeness and status quo. You were open, **honest** \- something entirely refreshing for a man like me. I suppose I _envied_ you- you were able to freely express yourself in ways I had only _dreamed_ of. Even despite asking why I looked so ' _grumpy_ ' that evening, I found you _interesting_ , Mayu. I wasn't offended by your inquiry- most people seemed to assume I was in a _terrible_ mood by my facial expressions alone- but most were too **intimated** to ask. You _weren't_ afraid of me. That was… Comforting.

Over the course of dinner, I realized that you and I shared more in common than I ever could have hoped. Both of us were rabid _bibliophiles_ , and our discussions about the greatest French writers of the 18th century was utterly _enthralling_ for me. Even despite your penchant for cheap beer and tossing each one back like a man **twice** your size, I found you to be _enchanting_ , if I am being honest. I could see concern dancing in Kana's eyes- she was having trouble keeping up with our conversations- Kana was _brilliant_ in her own right, but authors from the Renaissance period weren't her _forte_. You and I kept scrambling to include her, not wishing for her to feel left behind. You were a good friend to her. You looked after her.

You cared for her in the ways I could _**not**_ as her partner.

After meeting Shigure, you two began _dating_. It was… A **shock** , of course, but not something I was distraught over. Much to my chagrin, you two lasted for a few weeks. I did enjoy our double dates- I was comfortable with your company, along side my best friend and my partner's. Those are some of my fondest memories. I felt… **Normal**. I felt like a man my age _should_. You gave me a sense of normalcy that not even Kana could give. For that, I do not know if I could ever thank you enough, Mayu. You… You gave me my first taste of _freedom_.

When everything came crumbling down around us, you looked after Kana for me. Her recovery is thanks solely to you, and how you took care of her. When I came to you and explained that she would not remember me, you didn't even _blink_. I suppose inside you were curious, _**frightened**_ \- but without hesitation, you agreed to help her in whatever way you could. Kana's happiness now, her marriage- it is all thanks to _**you**_ , Mayu. I owe you many, many things- things I'm positive I will never be able to repay in this lifetime. You were able to look after my first love when I could not. You… You truly were a good friend to her.

The best that she could ever wish for, I'm **certain**.

Your parent's bookstore kept us in contact. You were always able to get your hands on some rare pieces- first editions, which you knew I had a _fetish_ for after the night we first met. You'd give me a call if you got anything rare in, giving me _first dibs_ on the merchandise before it went up for sale. At the head of the pecking order, you allowing me to rifle through boxes upon boxes in the back of the store- searching for what, it didn't matter- and, if I'm being honest, I do not believe it was the allure of old, weather literature that brought me there.

It was your smile. Your humor. You were the _antithesis_ to Kana and everything that she was, but in a way, your presence reminded me of _her_. It was **comforting**. It eased my heart ache. As did your _terrible_ jokes- the ones that made me take everything I had within me, every ounce of _strength_ \- to not grin. Smiles were **foreign** to me back then, yet you made them ghost across my lips _effortlessly_. Even when you weren't trying- it was hard to _**not**_ smile around you.

It was a slow burn- the feelings I began to develop for you were not sudden like it had been with Kana. Perhaps I was _incapable_ of doing that again. You and I became friends; we chuckled over discussing your failed relationship with Shigure, and you gave me updates on Kana's life sparingly. We bonded over _books_ , over where we would like to _travel_ one day… You told me about your jobl, and how my younger cousins were doing in your classes. It was… Nice. _Relaxed_. There was no rush, no _urgency_. We were free to explore each other as friends before we even _attempted_ anything romantic. It was what I believe we both _**needed**_.

Then, _ **the curse had broken**_.

You weren't-… You were never _**aware**_ of what I had been suffering from, so once I was free from it, I couldn't describe the true sense of _liberation_ I felt. Still, I believe you **understood**. Sitting together in that _cheap_ diner, you nursing the cheapest beer on the menu while I sipped tea and picked at my _less-than-stellar_ diner food- **I asked you to go to Okinawa with me**.

If you recall, it was on **that** trip that I officially asked you to be my _girlfriend_.

That vacation was one of the happiest moments in my life- just like the night I met you, you gave me a sense of _freedom_. It felt… **Easy** to be around you. Effortless. You didn't pander to me, you never _coddled_ me… You treated me like just another human being, as if I were no better, or no worse than anyone else you had ever met. It… It brought me to _tears_. All my life, I had just wanted to feel like I blended into the background. I wanted to be **normal** , unobtrusive, _bland_. You held my hand and acted as if my status, my money, my _**last name**_ meant nothing to you. You saw _me_. You saw my _heart_. I wasn't the Sohma family doctor, I was just _**Hatori**_ to you.

And you were _**my**_ Mayuko.

Thank you, Mayu. Falling in love with you was easy. You've taken care of me in more ways than I could ever count, and you've supported me even when I could not support myself.

Mayu, you make me _**happy**_.

With Much Love,  
 _ **Hatori**_ _ **Sohma**_


	8. Dear Tohru (The Letter)

_Dear Tohru_ ,

As you already know, Shigure is the writer in this family. He has a way with words that I've always **admired**. I suppose it comes as no surprise to you that I have a difficult time expressing myself _verbally_. Ever since I was a young boy, when I tried to say exactly how I felt, my throat would go **dry**. It would close up and not even the softest _peep_ would pass through my lips. It was a combination of _fear_ , I suppose, and a rather thorough defense mechanism. Those who hurt me just didn't _**understand**_ me- at least, that was my justification for it at the time. The blame was not my _own_ , it wasn't the omission of my emotions, it was **them** who couldn't understand the complexities of the ever-forlorn zodiac _dragon_.

Shigure says I may be _succinct_ , but I have a poet's heart. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I hope to learn one day. It is **you** , I believe, who has the heart of a poet. The irony of it hasn't been _lost_ on me, mind you- you have a way with words, albeit in more simpler terms and ideals, it is what others _want_ \- no, **need** to hear. If the heart is a growing flower bud, it is your very _nature_ that nourishes it, Tohru. Do you understand?

What I am trying to say is: you are the sunshine in our pitiful, wilting garden.

To describe the family before you arrived on Shigure's doorstep would cause me much grievance. I do not believe there are _**words**_ for the inescapable _sorrow_ that we were drowning in before you came. It was your gentle, yet loving fingertips dipping just under the surface of the water that gave us the **strength** to swim upwards for air, gave us the _will_ to carry on. Dramatic as it may sound, I write these words in utter seriousness.

You **saved** us.

I was… **Hesitant** at first about you, I will admit. Perhaps I came off as cold the first time we met. When I caught wind of your existence, of course the walls around my heart rose ever higher, the battlements at the ready. For an outsider to make their way through the air-tight defenses of the _Sohma clan_ , I assumed you must have been extraordinarily **cunning**. _Calculative_. These instincts were, quite obviously, **wrong**. You walked through our guarded sanctuary with little more than a warm smile and the courage of a lion. I must commend you for that. You were fearless in the face of danger. Fearless and unapologetically _kind_.

You wanted to **understand** us. That is a luxury we had never been afforded.

And _understand_ you did, the younger cousins of mine quickly took a liking to you. You showed them the warmness we were _neglected_ and **denied** as children. You gave them a taste of **normalcy** , the forbidden fruit, so to speak. As you captured their hearts one by one, I sat back and watched. Slowly, you crept into my heart as well. It wasn't long before I began to see the similarities, you know. The similarities between you… And _**her**_.

The way you smiled, the way you spoke… It brought to mind the memories I shared with **Kana** , the memories I desperately tried to _bury_. **Spring**. The answer would _always_ be Spring. I suppose I had forgotten that, the passing two years wrapped in my little cocoon of pain and loneliness gave me ample time to wash myself of what Kana had taught me.

And just like that, you taught me in **two seconds** what it was Kana had worked to teach me in _two months_.

To thank you is no easy task. This letter no more than a _meager_ offering of **gratitude** on my end. I do not possess the words that would be _adequate_ enough to tell you what you mean to me, to us, and what you've done for this family. You _changed_ us. You changed us for the better. It is you who set us _**free**_. It you who held the key to our gilded cage.

Thank you for being **brave**. You gave me the courage to try again one day. Not too near, and not too far, I know happiness will find _me_. I hope with all of my heart that we can repay you with nothing but kindness and happy memories for the rest of your days.

The ones you have left me with will last me a _lifetime_.

I am so thankful I **know** you, Tohru. Thank you for always being _yourself_. You are loved and appreciated more than I believe you will ever **truly** know.

Your Friend,  
 _ **Hatori Sohma**_


End file.
